text:
The IRS came under more fire from Congress on Thursday over unanswered questions surrounding the targeting of political groups that remain after a preliminary review issued from the agency. Lawmakers scolded IRS Principal Deputy Commissioner Danny Werfel for not having more answers about the agency's scrutiny of some groups seeking tax-exempt status.
Republicans interested in perpetuating waning outrage over IRS targeting of conservatives questioned the completeness of a new, 30-day review recently released by the agency's acting director. And Democrats made certain to highlight new revelations that liberal and progressive groups were also targeted to some extent.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013, before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing to report on the internal investigation into the extra scrutiny the IRS gave Tea Party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status.
"Unfortunately, while I'm aware this is an initial report, it fails to deliver the accountability the American people deserve," Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., the chairman of the committee that convened Thursday's hearing, said this morning. "This report doesn't answer even the most basic significant questions. Who started this practice? Why has it been allowed to continue for so long? How widespread was it? In fact, this report suggests that you haven't even asked anyone those questions."
At issue is the agency's use of "be-on-the-lookout," or BOLO, lists used to categorize groups for scrutiny. In his report earlier this week, Werfel said the use of such lists has been suspended. But questions about which groups were targeted and how forcefully remain.
Werfel said, simply, that the far-reaching investigation into potential wrongdoing at the IRS was incomplete. And the principal deputy commissioner said that he was limited in what he could say until both the IRS and a separate criminal investigation were complete.
Committee Republicans badgered Werfel, though, over the state of the investigation. They suggested that the acting IRS chief was essentially complicit in a cover-up of IRS targeting. Werfel was repeatedly interrupted upon trying to answer.
Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, addresses acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel at a House hearing Thursday over a report authored by Werfel on the agency's targeting of political groups.
"Mr. Werfel, this report is a sham," said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who generally refused to allow Werfel a word in edgewise. "I would call it a whitewash, but it's too thin and insubstantial to meet that description."
(Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., the next questioner, told Werfel: "I would like you to take the rest of my time to finish answering the questions Mr. Brady kept interrupting you on.")
Werfel further explained that he was under orders from the Justice Department to act in such a way that would not jeopardize any evidence chain in a criminal investigation.
"There's going to be a lot of questions and implications that the accountability is not real because people are still at the IRS and still getting a paycheck," he said, addressing Republicans' concerns about the progress of the investigation. But he countered by saying that he would violate the rules and procedures which govern civil servant employment if he were to act unilaterally to take disciplinary action against an employee without following due process.
Committee Democrats, meanwhile, seized on words within Werfel's 30-day report suggesting that the word "progressives" was included in the IRS "be-on-the-lookout" list instructing officials to apply extra scrutiny to a group applying for tax-exempt status.
"I hope our colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle will now join us in condemning the use of the term 'progressives' on the screening list and the failure of the I.G. to be forthcoming with this and other congressional committees," Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., the committee's top Democrat, said in his opening statement.
Republicans responded, though, by pointing to a letter from Russell George, the Treasury inspector general who conducted the initial IRS audit which exposed wrongdoing at the agency. George said that his audit demonstrated that the use of the "progressive" BOLO didn't routinely subject those groups to additional and unnecessary scrutiny the way the use of conservative-oriented BOLOs had.
This story was originally published on Thu Jun 27, 2013 12:17 PM EDT


text:
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."
French Artist, Edgar Degas, said this during his 60 year career. You can wiki him and find out more about him. This quote inspired some ideas in me and I was further inspired by my friend and designer, Heather Fonseca's blog post, Logos, Branding and Business Cards. She's thinking about how to best brand herself and her new business cards. Which brings me to...
We've all seen hundreds of business cards in our lifetime. I'm a firm believer in business cards still being an effective marketing tool, but when you have your logo, your name and contact info on it with no creativity whatsoever, you're just another business card. Remember, your first impression is the most important, but your business card is the tool that helps them remember that impression. Here's my business card for example.
There are 12 different designs to choose from on the back. My goal was to make my business card, not only unique, but fun; like trading cards. That's my brand and how I want to be perceived. Don't just tell people how great you are at what you do, show them. I can't tell you how many people have remembered me based on my business card alone. And the ones that learned about me through a third party, always mention the card that referred them to me. My card is saying to each potential client, "This is who I am and what makes me different from the rest". You can do the same. This troubled economy gives us the opportunity to be clever and think outside the box.
You might be thinking, "Dennis, I'm not an artist. This idea wouldn't work for me." That's because you're not thinking 4th dimensionally, as Doc Brown would say. Check out this idea from moo.com and see how you can take your favorite quotes (or some of your own knowledge) and place them on your cards.
So there you have it. I hope this has made you rethink your business card. If you have any questions, I'd love to help. I hope that Heather and I can team up on her ideas to bring her brand and new cards to life. If it works out I'll share the progress and final results. Thanks for reading and remember... it's not what you see, but what you make others see!
Happy Roctober,

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Big Italian Pizzeria & Ristorante is a family-run restaurant in Vallejo. We are proud to serve exquisite and authentic Italian cuisine to the area.
The combination of our amazing pizza & pastas, along with our casual atmosphere, allows us to welcome many regulars from the Vallejo area.
We are also the perfect catering business for your corporate or private events!
About Us
Please visit the link below for a list of our reviews and write-ups in the press.


text:
Love & Hip Hop Brawl: Jim Jones Wifey "Chrissy" Goes Buck On Kimbella!
"Chrissy sucker punches Kimbella and all hell breaks loose." - Vh1
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Don't you like the sound of that? If you are like me, Spring could not get here fast enough so that is why I decided to name this month's kit, Sweet Spring. I love the cool colors (blue, green, and brown) and the adorable chipboard birds and the XL flowers. Here is a pic...and many of you guessed correctly...Wendy Sue Anderson is the guest designer for this kit. Congratulations to Heidi, who was the first to guess correctly! Email me your address at info(at)scrapbookbakery.com and I will get your goodies sent out to you. :)
Here are the full images of the projects whipped up from the super talented and sweet Wendy:
That's all for today. Just wanted to give you guys a preview of the kit. It is ready for sale at the bakery now! Hope everyone had a wonderful Monday. Thanks for stopping by!


text:
A man who held up a local pizzeria at gunpoint is now suing the shop's employees for allegedly roughing him up as he attempted to run off with the cash.
Nigel Sykes, 23, of Wilmington, Delaware, alleges assault in a federal civil complaint claiming the rough treatment during the attempted hold-up was "unnecessary" and that as a result of the injuries he suffered, he is due over $260,000.
The News Journal reports that Sykes admitted in his self-written complaint -- which he filed from prison, where he is serving a 15-year sentence for robbery and attempted robbery -- that he forced he way into Seasons Pizza in Newport, showed the employees his gun and demanded money. After they handed over $140, he began to exit the shop when employees allegedly grabbed him from behind and wrestled the gun from him, with at least one shot being fired during the struggle.
"That is when the assault began," according to Sykes' suit. "All of the Season's Pizza employees participated in punching, kicking and pouring hot soup over my body. I was unarmed and defenseless and had to suffer a brutal beating by all of the employees of Seasons Pizza," he wrote.
Sykes also alleges that that after employees subdued him, two Newport police officers improperly used stun guns on him and denied him access to medical attention.
At the time of his 2010 arrest, police said Sykes was linked to at least eight other robberies including a bank, three other pizzerias, two fast food restaurants and two convenience stores.
Attorneys for the two Newport police officers recently filed a response to the suit, seeking to have it tossed out on statute of limitations grounds.


text:
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text:
The Muscogee County Marshal's Office has been in existence since 1831. An Act of the Georgia General Assembly and subsequent amendments granted the Marshal and Deputy Marshal's the authority to enforce Federal Laws, State Laws, and Local Ordinances. The Marshal's Office is the enforcement arm of the Municipal Court and has concurrent jurisdiction with the Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff's within the boundaries of Muscogee County. The Marshal and Deputy Marshals must meet the standards for all Georgia Peace Officers. The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council has certified the Muscogee Marshal's Office as a Law Enforcement Unit.
Vision Statement
To be the best Marshal's Office in the State of Georgia. Setting the standards for professionalism, diversity, teamwork, and to champion leadership through community partnership and higher education.
The Muscogee County Marshal's Office shall advance in working to enhance the service of civil processes to those who utilize our services. We will continue to strive to keep up with technology, laws, and education to grow as an integral unit with local and state law enforcement agencies. We will remain vigilant in recognizing the changes and trends that will help keep the citizens in our community safer than ever in a changing environment.
Statement of Values
We, the members of the Muscogee County Marshal's Office are committed to the following values:
Honesty – truthfulness regardless of circumstances
Integrity – honest in word and deed
Loyalty - being true to staff and community.
Professionalism –efficient, proficient, and prepared
Diversity – meeting the needs of the community
Accountability – responsible for our acts
Citizenship - proactive support of our community
Commitment – to the community and our chosen profession
Muscogee County Marshal's Office
100 10th Street
West Wing 2nd Floor
Columbus Government Center
Columbus, Georgia 31901
(706) 653-4385


text:
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Joined: 29 Sep 2008
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Posted: Wed 11 Sep 2013, 04:57
Post subject:
Puli 3.8.3 bark 6, released Nov 2014
Subject description: A high security configurable puplet intended to boot from USB pendrive
Puli has been updated many times since v3.8.3 was published. The actual versions are 6.2 (32 bit) and 7.1 (64 bit).
See them at
Welcome to Puli 3.8.3 bark 6, released Nov 2014
Puli is a member of the Puppy Linux family: a high security, "kiosk" flavor of pemasu's Upup Precise v220.127.116.11, intended to boot from a USB pendrive and run safely even if the boot device is unplugged.
The Puppy Linux Project was established by Barry Kauler in 2003. See legal notice at the bottom of this page.
Special thanks to smokey01, pemasu and OscarTalks.
related to its predecessor released Aug 2014:
# Auto-boot:
Any number of .pet and/or .sfs packages plus ONE official Chrome .deb file can be auto-booted. Auto-boot is controlled by loadsfs file.
In loadsfs, package referencing is easy: finds the package on boot device based on the first few characters - even the extension can be omitted. Wildcard "?" is allowed.
Tip: Keeping in mind that searching on the USB drive takes time (about 1-2 seconds), you can list all your favourite pet, sfs and Chrome deb files in loadsfs with minus sign (-) at the beginning of lines. Then only those will be auto-loaded for which you removed the minus sign.
1. The files extracted from the packages will be copied into the memory in the order of their appearance (means files in a package may overwrite the same-name files of earlier installed packages).
2. This is not a regular install but a simple copy thus the dependencies are not examined. Moreover, this "installation" is not registered in the system. To resolve possible collision(s) between packages, try to change the order of listed packages in loadsfs, or remove/replace those conflicting item(s). Also, you may add some workaround script in /root/zsupp.
Added "Skip auto-loading user packages during boot time" feature. When asked, any char including space can skip loading user packages.
# Size:
Footprint is even smaller than of bark5 and before.
Backup size dramatically reduced (to a few megabytes) in spite of an additional folder (opt) is included. However, you need to use the same auto-load selection in loadsfs to successfully restore the exact status in the past (when the backup happened).
Full backup option: if you run /usr/bin/fullbackup, the backup file will include the (merged) files of the auto-loaded packages, too. Note that the size of the backup file can be hundreds of megabytes in this case.
# Bugs fixed:
Bash "Shellshock" Vulnerability (CVE-2014-6271, 6277, 6278, 7169. 7186, 7187, ////) fixed. Bash upgraded to bash-3.0.22.
Test vulnerabilities: curl -k https://shellshocker.net/shellshock_test.sh | bash
Poodle bugfix included for Chrome (Links2 not affected)
wine collides with Chrome - fixed by uploading new wine package
shrink provides buggy result (typo fixed in remove_builtin script)
no default codec defined for mplayer (now vo=xv)
(workaround) 32-bit PepperFlash in Chrome v38 and above manifests 64-bit fixed (in the updated petget script)
Heartbleed vulnerability fixed (by updating openssl and also by upgrading LibreOffice to v4.3.2)
wget ftp symlink vulnerability (CVE-2014-4877) fixed, too.
Note: extra mplayer options (lavdopts) removed to provide higher quality videos. However, they might be necessary for old and slow PCs. Copy the content of /root/.config/nome-mplayer to /root/.config/gnome-mplayer
# Builtin modules removed:
# Modules added:
# New auto-loadable packages created/tested/uploaded:
jre-1.7u71-i586.sfs (and .pet)
jre-1.8u25-i586.sfs (and .pet)
mypaint-1.1.0_asri20140326_310.pet (and sfs)
wine_puli_wt-1.7.21.pet (includes winetricks)
# New features:
The browse desktop icon has this preference order to open: Chrome, Links2 - depending on which one is installed.
The paint desktop icon has this preference order to open: Gimp, Mypaint, AzPainter, mtpaint - depending on which one is installed.
The draw desktop icon has this preference order to open: Inkscape, AzDrawing, Inklite - depending on which one is installed.
The Skype desktop icon was replaced by a phone icon. The Chat feature behind it has this preference order: Skype, linphone, xchat - depending on which one is installed. Note that Chrome v35 and above block websites to access microphone/camera thus some popular AV chat URLs such as https://appear.in/puli may not work.
After boot-up, the adblock feature starts and updates the /etc/hosts file.
A newly installed/upgraded/downgraded Chrome attempts to import its preferences from the /root/spot/.config/google-chrome/Default/Preferences.ori file (that the user optionally prepared for this purpose, e.g., for language settings).
Any version of LibreOffice precedes the rest of Office apps, i.e., SoftMaker, and Goffice.
I. How to install Puli:
1. Create a bootable USB pendrive
a. In any Puppy Linux distro/puplet such as pemasu's Upup Precise 220.127.116.11, run the Setup / BootFlash install Puppy to USB utility and follow the instructions there.
b. When finished, delete all files from the pendrive except ldlinux.sys.
2. Copy Puli to the pendrive.
a. Puli and its updates are available at
in form of compressed files. Download then unpack the Puli_install.tar.gz file to access the Puli_install folder.
b. Open the Puli_install folder and copy its content into the (root of the) USB pendrive.
c. It does worth to download the sfs folder from
into the USB pendrive, too. Puli offers advanced Office options and the newest Java runtime module in those sfs files.
* To have SoftMaker FreeOffice, put a SoftMaker line in loadsfs file on your USB boot device. You need to register and obtain your personal license at Softmaker Software GmbH as detailed below. See the related legal restrictions at /opt/freeoffice/license.txt.
* Alternatively, you can use LibreOffice (without registration) by putting a LibreOffice line in loadsfs file.
* You can reference any number of .sfs and/or .pet files simply by referencing their file name in separate lines of the loadsfs file as shown in the above examples. Puli will find those .sfs files (on the USB boot device) and load them during bootup. Note that the first score will be loaded even if the USB pendrive has multiple files with the same file name.
3. Unmount the pendrive.
You are ready, Puli is installed.
4. Before rebooting
your machine from the pendrive
a. I recommend to read the following sections, too.
b. If you know what to do, you may configure some startup parameters in syslinux.cfg right now.
c. Ensure that the BIOS is configured to boot from pendrive.
5. Give Puli a go!
II. Puli in a nutshell:
1. Boot-up the PC
from the USB pendrive pre-installed with Puli.
a. When asked, log in as root.
b. Type root as password. Later you can change the password and save it for next logins.
2. The QuickSetup dialog pops up.
Here, you may configure the system as you want.
a. Check whether timezone, locale and keyboard, etc., are correct and change them if needed.
b. You may right-click the Volume tray icon, select Full window and check/adjust Capture, Mic boost, etc.
3. The USB pendrive gets unmounted.
Consider pulling it out when the popup message reminds you.
4. It is recommended to set your own session password.
a. Open console
b. Issue the busybox passwd command.
5. Before you finish
, be sure that you left no data on the PC.
6. There are different methods to save your work
on the (replugged) USB pendrive:
a. Clicking the backup icon on the right of the Desktop immediately creates a compressed Puli_backup_YYYY_MM_DD_HH_MM.tar.gz backup file in the /backup folder of the USB pendrive. Backups include Backup description. Note that the password files and the content of the .sfs files (installed into /initrd/pup_ro2 and /initr/pup_ro4 folders) are excluded. While those .sfs files are the same, you can restore a previous status from a backup if you drag-and-drop its icon onto the Restore icon next to it.
b. You can decide to create backup by selecting Save: backup on the Shutdown dialog.
c. You can preserve the current settings without creating backup file by clicking the Save: patch button on the Shutdown dialog.
* Be wary of
hardware keyloggers
. From the tray, open the virtual keyboard and use it any time to enter passwords or other sensitive text.
* Based on the preset user profile, some features, such as Office programs, evince, etc., may start in offline mode for your security
III. For advanced users:
* The installed
mesa graphics accelerator
version is 9.0.2 for Intel video hardware while 8.0.4 for Nvidia and Radeon devices.
* You may add
boot parameters
, e.g., pkeys=hu plang=hu_HU.UTF-8, to syslinux.cfg on the pendrive (see among the install files).
* The
default timezone
is GMT. However, Puli overwrites it with the content of the single-line timezone file from the (root of the) pendrive. Take a look into the /usr/share/zoneinfo folder for correct timezone strings such as Australia/Perth
* If the USB pendrive contains a /patch and optionally a /profiles/Common folder, then Puli
updates the filesystem with their merged content
during bootup (before X starts).
The last executed script
in the /root/Startup folder is zsupp. It may worth looking into it for the tricks it does. Of course, even zsupp could be updated from /patch before it (zsupp) would run.
* In the Puli package, you can find tricky
user profile examples
realized by different patch structures. They can be selected/activated (copied into /patch folder on the pendrive) by clicking their fantasy-named profile selector icon.
a. This is the default profile, i.e., when there is no /patch folder on the pendrive or it is empty.
b. The network_tray icon becomes red while suspicious connections are active. They are logged in /var/log/suspicious_connections file.
a. Barks as soon as suspicious connections are detected (only during browsing). Then, to prevent hacker attacks, updates the firewall's blacklist with the suspicious hosts.
b. Puli does not release the suspicious host but occupies its available ports in SYN_SENT or similar mode. For details, see profile-specific scripts such as /usr/local/apps/defaultbrowser and /usr/bin/chromium.
c. If you accidentally get false alarm(s), move those friendly IP addresses from /etc/suspicious_hosts to /etc/friends file (and update your patch structure accordingly).
a. According to the profile name, Puli makes hackers crazy. It disables the network periodically to prevent their session become effective.
b. Consider to download and enable the Disconnect extension in Crazy profile even if you are in Incognito mode.
The recommended browser
(based on the default settings in the loadsfs file) is a properly sandboxed Chrome version 34 with Flash plugin version 14. You can
easily upgrade or even downgrade Chrome
using the unique
Smart Install
feature of Puli:
a. Download a 32-bit Debian (*_i386.deb) package (any stable, beta or dev) from
or based on query
The actual stable version is at
b. After downloaded, simply click on it (or select Smart Install from the right-click menu).
c. If you like the just installed version, then copy the .deb file to somewhere on your boot device and update the loadsfs file accordingly.
* In all profiles, clicking the
icon invokes the
Links browser
configured for smart media recognition capabilities. The Links browser opens also if you click the
icon while there is no Chrome installed.
Parental control
: Append IP addresses or even domain names (e.g., 184.108.40.206 and/or somename.com) as separate lines to the /etc/suspicious_hosts file (of course, copy it into your favorite patch structure on the UBS pendrive, together with /etc/friends). Puli interprets them and feeds the blacklist automatically.
* Notice that some common Puppy utilities, e.g., default applications chooser and firewall generator, have been removed
in favor of the patch-based features
* Notice also that the
.DirIcon of the selected profile folder
appears on the Desktop as
backup icon
* If you connected an
MTP (Media Transfer Protocol)-capable device
(e.g. a mobile phone) via USB cable, open a terminal window and issue mtp+. Now, you can access the device thru the /root/MTP folder. If you finished, issue mtp- before disconnecting the USB cable.
IV. For enthusiasts:
You may need to
customize Puli
if you want to run it on the same computer. Puli supports this in many ways as follows. But keep in mind that different computers' settings can be incompatible with each other thus their settings should be stored separately, i.e., in different patch profiles.
* During bootup, the .sfs and .pet files listed in
file on the USB boot device, either as /patch/loadsfs or /profiles/Common/loadsfs, (don't mix - the former overrides the latter, other locations are ignored) will also be loaded if they exist somewhere on the USB boot device. You can reference there
as many files as you want
- even a truncated but unique basename, e.g., "wine", or (if you are unsure about capitals in the filename) "?ine" is enough to locate "wine_puli-1.7.21.pet". Note that while, on the one hand, only the memory limits the number of the auto-loaded files; on the other hand, they cannot be unloaded in the current session. Puli is prepared to auto-load an (ONE) official chrome .deb package referenced in loadsfs, too. The chrome package name must be like "google-chrome-stable_34.0.1847.137-1_i386.deb" (this is how an official Google Chrome package name looks like).
* Notice that the auto-loaded files are merged into the /initrd/pup_rw folder: they arrive there in the order of their appearence in your loadsfs file. As in other Puppies, you may install five additional .sfs files on-the-fly later (into /initrd/pup_ro4 ... /initrd/pup_ro8). However, Puli offers a workaround if you need to load more than five .sfs files on-the-fly. Menu item
Setup > Merge SFS files
gets (based on their alphabetical order) the *.sfs files found in /root folder, then merges them into
. Move it to the pendrive and reference it as a single item to
it using the
Settings > SFS-Load
menu item from the desktop.
* You can
save your session settings
to auto-load them on the same machine next time. The following examples are here only to help understand the basics. However, their result should be similar to what you get by clicking the Save: patch button on the Shutdown dialog.
Example A.
Preserving only the audio configuration:
a. Set up the sounds with the Retrovol tray icon.
b. Open a terminal.
c. Issue alsactl -f /etc/asound.state store
d. Copy the /etc/asound.state file into your machine-specific profile on the pendrive.
e. Puli restores the same settings at every boot time.
Example B.
Preserving only the network configuration:
a. In Puli, Barry's sns is used to establish network connection. It stores your machine-specific preferences in /etc/simple_network_setup/ folder. Here, wpa_supplicant.conf files contain colons ( : ) in their name which cannot be copied to your pendrive if it is FAT-formatted. If so, replace these colons with equals sign ( = )
b. Copy the /etc/simple_network_setup/ folder to the patch structure of the machine-specific profile on the pendrive.
c. Puli restores those filenames when loading the patch files at startup.
Example C.
Preserving configuration items using built-in script:
a. Set up the sounds with the Retrovol tray icon.
b. Check that sns is configured well.
c. If you chose the default Softmaker FreeOffice program, click the write desktop icon to enter the Softmaker FreeOffice licence key. The key is free for registered users. You need to do this only once, at the first usage.
d. In a terminal window, issue permanent
e. The /usr/bin/permanent script asks for a permanent password then saves the sound and network settings into the /patch folder on the pendrive. You can add more lines to save other session files, e.g., bookmarks, browser profile, desktop background or even downloaded files that have been arrived into the /root/spot/Downloads/ folder.
f. Puli reads the saved settings at every boot time from the actual content of /patch folder of the pendrive. It is recommended to store those machine-specific sets in separate profiles then populate the pendrive's /patch folder from the appropriate profile when necessary.
* In contrast to other puppies, you cannot save your session as
on the USB pendrive or elsewhere. Instead, use the
desktop icon or the
Save: backup
option at the Shutdown dialog. Note that the auto-loaded extra packages are not included in the backup file thus you need to use the same loadsfs file next time to restore the same environment. However, you can run the
script from a terminal window if you really want to include the auto-loaded files in the backup file. Note that the timestamp (mdate) of the whole stuff controlled by loadsfs are set back to 2001-11-11 11:11.
* You may
refresh the puppy_puli_3.8.3.sfs file
with the content of the actual patch structure:
a. Ensure that the pendrive is plugged in (either mounted or unmounted).
b. Open a terminal and issue
c. The temporary files are in the /root/squashfs-root folder. You can manually edit their content there when the script asks for this.
d. Wait until all operations are finished.
* The
script does the same as
except that it calls the Remove Builtin Files utility before writing back to the USB pendrive. The temporary files are in the /root/squashfs-root folder. You can manually edit the content there when the script asks for this.
* The
desktop icon has this preference order to open: Gimp, Mypaint, AzPainter, mtpaint - depending on which one is installed.
* The
desktop icon has this preference order to open: Inkscape, AzDrawing, Inklite - depending on which one is installed.
* The
desktop icon has this preference order to open: Skype, linphone, xchat - depending on which one is installed.
* Skype installed from
runs as spot but may be silent if the 'apulse' emulator is incompatible with your hardware. Use
to force sound by pulseaudio - but in this case Skype runs as root, which can be insecure.
Have fun!
Icon of the Mild-tempered profile
6466 Time(s)
Icon of the Rigorous profile
6337 Time(s)
Icon of the Crazy profile
6202 Time(s)
8303 Time(s)
Last edited by gjuhasz on Fri 29 Nov 2019, 19:51; edited 66 times in total
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Joined: 17 May 2009
Posts: 106
Location: member of Hungarian Puppy Linux Community
Posted: Wed 11 Sep 2013, 08:10
Post subject:
Errö írhatnál a magyar puppy-oldalra is!
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 3493
Location: www.eussenheim.de/
Posted: Wed 11 Sep 2013, 09:15
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy 3.8.3
Subject description: A high security configurable puplet intended to boot from USB pendrive
syslinux.cfg wrote:
default vmlinuz initrd=initrd.gz pmedia=usbflash pfix=ram
I did not see any initrd.gz in Puli
Could not run it
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Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 422
Posted: Wed 11 Sep 2013, 09:27
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy 3.8.3
Subject description: A high security configurable puplet intended to boot from USB pendrive
I re-uploaded Puli_install.tar.gz to the collection at
HU menu bug fixed: now the default menu is English
Thanks for your notice.
L18L wrote:
I did not see any initrd.gz in Puli
Could not run it
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 3493
Location: www.eussenheim.de/
Posted: Thu 12 Sep 2013, 11:45
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy 3.8.3
Subject description: A high security configurable puplet intended to boot from USB pendrive
Thanks for re-uploading
Took me some time to get it running.
Had to change BIOS, pendrive from automatic mode to HDD
Then forgot to set password.
Had to copy from a known /etc/shadow to enable access.
German langpack installed
7899 Time(s)
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 3493
Location: www.eussenheim.de/
Posted: Thu 12 Sep 2013, 13:12
Post subject: Puli Puppy 3.8.3
4. It is recommended to set your own session password.
a. Open console
b. Issue the busybox passwd command.
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Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 422
Posted: Thu 12 Sep 2013, 16:46
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy 3.8.3
L18L wrote:
4. It is recommended to set your own session password.
a. Open console
b. Issue the busybox passwd command.
@L18L: Wow! You discovered a funny set of defense built in Puli...
1. Let me start with "passwd". As written in the intro (Help) text, Puli overwrites the default "root" password with a looong secret one at the earliest possible time. You remain logged in as root, but Puli recommended to set your own session password by issuing the
busybox passwd
2. I admit, not only is the password overwritten by Puli immediately but the "passwd" command, too
Well, this is a simple trick that prevents a friend (or a remote hacker) to change your password while you are working.
There are other common utilities such as ptrace and prctl, which are favorite "tools" of hackers who try to get remote control over your system. Puli knows that only malicious attackers try to act this way, so pops up the same alert message as for passwd. Remind that neither ptrace nor prctl are implemented in the original Precise 22.214.171.124 thus nothing has been lost.
Let me attach an example of setting a default password different from "root" and forcing Puli to replace it with the same one. If you copy /etc from the extracted attachment into the /patch folder of your pendrive, your default password will be
at boot time and will remain
for the current and future sessions.
P.s:. Ein herzliches Dankeschön an die deutsche Übersetzung!
However... I would appreciate if my Puli logo could appear also in the German version... see as /usr/local/lib/X11/pixmaps/puli96.png
Run it! Love it! Trust it!
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 3493
Location: www.eussenheim.de/
Posted: Fri 13 Sep 2013, 05:43
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy 3.8.3
gjuhasz wrote:
... set your own session password by issuing the
busybox passwd
Yes, that is better than just
set your own session password by issuing the busybox passwd command
gjuhasz wrote:
P.s:. Ein herzliches Dankeschön an die deutsche Übersetzung!
However... I would appreciate if my Puli logo could appear also in the German version... see as /usr/local/lib/X11/pixmaps/puli96.png
There is no German "version".
It is just the langpack_de-20130806 loaded, nothing else.
The translated help page shows puppy logo like the original English help page.
So I think it is up to you to owerwrite puppy logo with (link to ?) Puli logo.
At all,
Since you know my password now try to hack me
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Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 422
Posted: Sun 15 Sep 2013, 16:43
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy 3.8.3
Subject description: An example of saving session onto USB boot device.
Install material updated.
Now the default page in Chrome is Google Chrome EULA:
Last edited by gjuhasz on Mon 16 Sep 2013, 10:18; edited 1 time in total
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Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 422
Posted: Sun 15 Sep 2013, 17:09
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy 3.8.3
Subject description: An example of saving session onto USB boot device.
L18L wrote:
Since you know my password now try to hack me
Let me propose to use the below script as an example for how to save some local settings on the pendrive:
bootdev=`cat /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE |grep PUPSFS |cut -f1 -d "," |cut -f2 -d "'"`
#asks for password then updates it together with sound settings in /patch/etc folder of the USB boot device
yaf-splash -bg yellow -close box -icon /usr/local/lib/pixmaps/puli48.png -text "To make your sound and password settings be permanent, please ensure that your USB boot device is plugged in."
/usr/bin/urxvt -e busybox passwd
mkdir -p /mnt/$bootdev
mount /dev/$bootdev /mnt/$bootdev
sleep 1
alsactl -f /etc/asound.state store
mkdir -p /mnt/$bootdev/patch
mkdir -p /mnt/$bootdev/patch/etc
mkdir -p /mnt/$bootdev/patch/etc/patch
cp -f /etc/passw* /mnt/$bootdev/patch/etc
cp -f /etc/shado* /mnt/$bootdev/patch/etc
cp -f /etc/shado* /mnt/$bootdev/patch/etc/patch
cp -f /etc/passw* /mnt/$bootdev/patch/etc/patch
cp -f /etc/asound.state /mnt/$bootdev/patch/etc
cp -f /etc/passw* /etc/patch
cp -f /etc/shado* /etc/patch
# Here you can add more lines to save other session files,
# e.g., bookmarks, browser profile, desktop background
# or even downloaded files that arrived into /root/spot/Downloads.
# But keep in mind that some settings, e.g., /etc/asound.state are machine-specific
# thus it is better to store them in machine-specific profiles of Puli.
sleep 1
umount /dev/$bootdev
yaf-splash -bg yellow -close box -icon /usr/local/lib/pixmaps/puli48.png -timeout 120 -text "Permanent password created, sound settings saved. Now you may unplug the USB pendrive. Don't forget to update your profile(s) on the pendrive with the new settings."
The next Puli version will include a desktop icon for a script (or feature) like this.
In Puli, I do not offer automatic or manual saving to pupsave.2fs in favor of the planned "carve in stone" feature.
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Joined: 27 Sep 2013
Posts: 2
Posted: Fri 27 Sep 2013, 17:25
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy
Thanks for the interesting version of Puppy, it works well in my Asus laptop.
In the current version of Puli the Chromium browser default language seems to be Hungarian and this brings Hungarian words e.g. to the menu of www.google.fi page. I can get it work normally if I remove the Hungarian from the Chromium language selection. Obviously this change will not be saved, when I restart Puli the Hungarian language is still there. This applies just Cromium browser, the language and keyboard selections of Puli itself are OK.
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Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 422
Posted: Sat 28 Sep 2013, 19:52
Post subject: Re: Puli Puppy
pulmar wrote:
Obviously this change will not be saved, when I restart Puli the Hungarian language is still there.
Thank you for your interest in Puli.
I assume you use it as recommended, i.e., boot from USB pendrive with pfix=ram and your actual profile is in the /patch folder of your pendrive.
I propose to do the following:
1. Change the browser settings as you need
2. Close the browser
3. Issue the below command from a terminal window (replace '$bootdev' with the mount point of your device, e.g., 'sdb1')
cp -f --parents /root/spot/.config/chromium/Default/Preferences /mnt/$bootdev/patch
From now the browser starts with your preferences.
You can insert this and/or similar commands such as
cp -f --parents /root/spot/.config/chromium/Default/Bookmarks /mnt/$bootdev/patch
into the script in my above post.
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Joined: 27 Sep 2013
Posts: 2
Posted: Wed 02 Oct 2013, 02:38
Post subject: Puli puppy
Thanks for the instructions. Now Puli works as expected, and I will continue studying its specific features.
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Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 422
Posted: Mon 18 Nov 2013, 14:22
Post subject: Puli 3.8.3 bark 2, released Nov 2013
Hi all,
I am proud to announce
Puli 3.8.3 bark 2
See detailed description at the top of this page.
Changelog related to its predecessor released Sep 2013
Easier password handling (thanks to your posts above)
New backup feature with profile icon
New shutdown dialog with "save to patch" feature.
Updated "Mild" profile (a bit lighter without decreasing its security level)
Help icon opens a "milder" browser in each profile
Updated Chrome browser (to the current live v30 with Flash plugin v11.9.)
New desktop background
New jwm skin
Minor bugfixes
Have fun!
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Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 422
Posted: Thu 05 Dec 2013, 18:14
Post subject: Restore script
The simple script below can be used for restoring backups. Copy it into the root of the USB pendrive where the backups are saved. To restore a previous status, simply drag a backup file and drop it on the Restore icon.
if [ -z "$1" ]
yaf-splash -bg yellow -close box -icon /usr/share/pixmaps/puli.png -timeout 5 -text "To restore, drag a backup file and drop it on the Restore icon."
bootdev=`cat /etc/rc.d/PUPSTATE |grep PUPSFS |cut -f1 -d "," |cut -f2 -d "'"` 2>/dev/null
killall -9 abiword 2>/dev/null
killall -9 gnumeric 2>/dev/null
killall -9 chrome 2>/dev/null
killall -9 chromium 2>/dev/null
killall -9 yaf-splash 2>/dev/null
killall -9 xchat 2>/dev/null
killall -9 evince1 2>/dev/null
killall -9 skype 2>/dev/null
killall -9 gtkdialog3 2>/dev/null
killall -9 nome-mplayer 2>/dev/null
killall -9 mplayer 2>/dev/null
sleep 1
#rm -R root/spot/.config/google-chrome/*
#cp -R /initrd/pup_ro2/root/spot/.config/google-chrome/* /root/spot/.config/google-chrome/
sleep 1
rm -f /tmp/tmp1 2>/dev/null
mkdir /tmp/tmp1
tar -zxvf $1 -C /tmp/tmp1
sleep 1
cp -rf /tmp/tmp1/* /
yaf-splash -bg green -close box -icon /usr/share/pixmaps/puli.png -timeout 5 -text "$1 restored, now X restarts..."
rm -f /tmp/tmp1
restartwm jwm
I am actually working on the New Years Eve version of Puli. Among the bunch of new features, you will find a more comfortable Backup and its Restore counterpart. In addition, as a surprise, I will introduce the "crazy" profile.
Fasten seat belts...
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text:
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: What steps to take to BE SAFETuesday, August 9th, 2011
Hundreds of lives are lost each year through exposure to an invisible, odorless, colorless toxic gas called Carbon Monoxide (CO). CO also sends thousands of exposed victims to Emergency Rooms to seek treatment. Impossible to see, taste, or smell, CO can kill you before you are even aware of its presence in your home or office.
Although many of us have heard about the dangers of CO poisoning, few realize the many sources the gas can come from—gas-fired appliances to domestic heating systems, charcoal grills and wood-burning furnaces, blocked flues in fireplaces, inadequate ventilation in living areas or places of work and motor vehicles.
One reason CO is so dangerous is that low levels of exposure can mimic symptoms that might easily be mistaken for the flu. Headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue send people to bed to catch up on rest. But if CO poisoning is the real culprit, affected individuals could drift off to sleep, never again to awake.
The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on several factors:
- Age
- Overall Health
- Concentration of Carbon Monoxide Poison
- Length of Exposure
Health professionals believe that certain groups of people are more at risk if exposed to Carbon Monoxide:
- Unborn Babies
- Infants
- Children
- Senior Citizens
- People who suffer from heart or lung problems
Here's how you can protect yourself, your employees and/or coworkers and your family:
- Install at least one Carbon Monoxide alarm that features an audible warning signal near the areas where people sleep and just outside of every bedroom or office door. Make sure alarms have been approved by a nationally recognized laboratory.
- Since Carbon Monoxide alarms are designed to measure levels of CO over time and sound only after levels reach a certain concentration, some healthy adults may not think the alarm is accurate since they might not experiencing noticeable symptoms when they hear the alarm. So don't ignore your CO alarm. If it goes off, heed the warning.
- Don't ever use your stove or oven to heat your home.
- Hire a qualified professional to check all fuel burning appliances, furnaces, vents and chimneys regularly.
- Don't use charcoal grills or hibachis in your home, office or garage.
- Never keep a car running in a garage. Even if the garage doors are open, normal circulation will not provide enough fresh air to reliably prevent a dangerous buildup of gas.
- When purchasing a new or existing home, make sure qualified technicians have evaluated the integrity of heating systems and cooking equipment, as well as sealed spaces between garages and homes. A Carbon Monoxide alarm could save your life.
If Carbon Monoxide Detector Sounds:
(Even if no one is feeling ill):
- Silence the alarm.
- Turn off appliances and all sources of combustion
- Open all doors and windows for ventilation
- Call qualified professionals to investigate the possible source of CO buildup
(If people feel the effects of CO poisoning):
- Evacuate occupants immediately.
- Determine which occupants are ill and assess their symptoms.
- Call 911. Relaying information to the dispatcher, include how many people feel ill.
- Do not re-enter the home without the approval of a fire department representative.
- Call qualified professionals for repairs
When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact Allied Universal, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit rjwestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.


text:
The Legal Information Institutes (LIIs) have been spearheading the free access to law movement throughout the world. Until recently, China has been conspicuously absent from the family of LIIs; however, that may soon change.
The Internet Law Review (网络法律评论) from Peking University Law School is working on an upcoming article that focuses on the possibility of forming a legal information institute in China. Keep an eye out for the article tentatively titled: "Law via the Internet: Why there is no LII for China."
If you are interested in China's development of a LII or Chinese legal research in general, you may wish to attend the the Chinese and American Forum on Legal Information and Law Libraries (CAFLL) Conference scheduled for Shanghai from June 11-12, 2013. CAFLL conferences offer a unique opportunity for Chinese and foreign law librarians to exchange ideas and expertise.
Additional conference information is available at the CAFLL Website:
Wishing our Chinese colleagues good luck with promoting free access to law in China.


text:
Individual 10 Sukkahousut
€ 31,00 € 20,15
Comfortably soft: These tights feature double-entwined elastane that stretches with every movement. The reinforced panty section provides optimal comfort even in larger sizes, and the soft waistband guarantees a perfect fit.
- Almost invisible toe reinforcement (Shadow Toe)
- Cotton gusset
An all-rounder for different occasions.
Order Today: Estimated Delivery Date 06/10/2020
- main material 81% nylon, 19% elastane


text:
by Melissa
The Nightmare Before Christmas Sally Costume Photo 2 of 3
Rate this costume:
5 votes
|1 comment · add a comment
This is Ashlyn as Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Ashlyn's Mom made the Costume from scratch... using no pattern, but only a photo they found on Google. That's REALLY a cool background too Sally/Ashlyn!
Way to GO MOM!
Thanks Mom and Ashlyn for the great entry!
|Costume type:
|Costumes for Girls
This homemade costume for girls entered our 2009 Halloween Costume Contest.
Similar costumes:


text:
€180.00 incl. VAT
|night blue
€180.00 incl. VAT
Light fleece hoody for all seasons
Lightweight, versatile and functional fleece hoody for any alpine activity
- The inner waffle structure ensures good moisture wicking
- Excellent stretchability
- Highly breathable and quick drying
- Comfortable thanks to merino wool on the inside
Whether we're climbing, on an alpine tour or mountaineering – we like companions that do everything with us. That's why our MERINO FLEECE LIGHT line is durable, lightweight and, thanks to fine Tasmanian merino wool, comfortable on the skin. Technical features such as backpack-compatible front pockets, bonded frame and gap-closing thumb loops make our no-frills FLEECE LIGHT HOODY for women an ideal second layer – for all seasons. Fine Tasmanian merino wool and inner waffle structure ensure good moisture wicking and feel dry on the skin during arduous activities. The material is also extremely breathable, quick drying and highly stretchable. The outside is smooth, so the material provides less contact surface.
In addition, the FLEECE LIGHT HOODY for women has a full-length zip and two front pockets that provide plenty of room for cold hands or small essentials. The sleeves are held by two thumb loops that will warm your pulse and perfectly seal any gaps. The hood's single-layer construction means it will fit under any helmet and protect against wind and weather.
In the MERINO FLEECE line, ORTOVOX uses the finest merino wool on the inside together with polyester on the outside. Elastane is also used to make the material elastic. This makes the line very stretchy and durable, while napped merino wool provides an excellent microclimate and breathability.
Since 1995, merino wool has been an integral component of ORTOVOX's mountainwear. Our merino wool comes from selected farms that comply with our own wool standard: the ORTOVOX WOOL PROMISE. ORTOVOX obtains its virgin wool from verified and ethical sheep farms. These farms are regularly monitored within the framework of the OWP. The wool is naturally 100% ecological and therefore super sustainable. Thanks to the small-diameter fibers in its fine woolen threads, merino wool feels extremely soft and comfortable on the skin. In addition to comfort, merino wool also provides an ideal personal body climate by regulating both moisture and temperature. It is also easy to care for and, thanks to its antibacterial effect, odor neutralizing.
Area of usage
High Alpine
Ski Tour
Product features
- 2 front pockets
- Thumb loops
- Ergonomic cut
- Bonded upper arm pocket
- Optimized for backpacks
- Protective hood
- insulating
Material properties
- Quick drying
- Breathable
- Merino inside
- Merino on skin
- Highly stretchable
- High durability and robustness
- Comfortable to wear
- Made in Europe
- Tasmanian Merino
|Article number:
|286 g
|Regular Fit
67 % polyester + 26 % virgin wool (MERINO) +7 % elastane
The special features of wool fibers from Switzerland are their outstanding thermal properties and excellent climate control, as well as their regional origin.
Similar products
Lightweight, close-fitting fleece sweater for winter alpine activities
Extra-warm merino fleece jacket with cozy knitted wool for cold days
Warm all-round fleece with merino and functional comfort for cold days in the mountains
Light, technical fleece jacket with merino wool for rock faces and high alpine tours


text:
Truck Games
Brb Games present Escape Games (Formally Truck Games 365)
You want racing games? There are tons of truck raceing games for you to choose from.
These games range from short sprinting games all the way to beautifully designed, 3-D works of art. That is not all that the premier truck video gaming site on the net has, though.
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Slide into the drivers seat with some of the most loved characters known to kids around the world. The largest selection and variety of truck games and racing games online is right here.
You can even learn some creative ways to avoid your daily traffic, just be playing the right truck game.


text:
Sarasota's 'open house' forums on the long-range development rules begin tonight
The landscape changes quickly along Fruitville Road after passing under Interstate 75 into eastern Sarasota County.
Six lanes become four, then two. Farm stands replace big-box stores. Horses lean against wooden fences that divide the large lots on many side streets. Cows and chickens seem nearly as common as cats and dogs.
Then there's the llama spit. It's a hazard of life for Karli Wilbanks, who raises 16 of the wooly creatures on six acres just off Fruitville.
That Wilbanks prefers llama spit and myriad other "llama dramas" to city life says something about her and her neighbors. They don't mind the howl of coyotes or the low rumble of lions at a nearby sanctuary.
Roaring lions are preferable to roaring traffic, Wilbanks said, and she worries that the latter will drown out the former if development regulations governing rural parts of Sarasota County are further loosened.
Concerns about county roads transforming into gridlocked highways are among the many issues likely to be raised tonight as Sarasota County hosts the first of two "open house" meetings on proposed changes to the 2050 growth management plan.
The debate encapsulates the full gamut of growth-related flash points, from how far the community should go to protect the environment and preserve open space to what extent developers should be forced to pay for roads and other infrastructure.
The 2050 plan regulates most of Sarasota County's undeveloped land — largely rural tracts east of Interstate 75 — and will determine how the county looks and feels for decades to come, so the stakes are high.
Developers say the plan does not work and are proposing 37 changes. County commissioners will weigh those concerns against the public's and decide if revisions are warranted.
Some urban encroachment along the eastern stretch of Fruitville and other rural areas of the county is inevitable. Thousands of homes already are permitted practically within spitting distance of Wilbanks' llamas. But Wilbanks is concerned that the proposed 2050 changes could further worsen traffic and other development impacts, and hopes that elected leaders proceed with caution.
"To continue forcing these changes on us without considering our opinions is a bad idea," she said.
Compromise unravels
Many communities struggle with conflicts over urban sprawl.
Sarasota County leaders hoped they had found a compromise with the 2050 plan, which tried to balance landowners' commercial interests with protecting the environment, preserving rural culture and creating more attractive and convenient communities.
Finalized in 2004 and intended to last a generation, the plan allowed large new developments in rural areas outside the county's urban core. But they had to be compact and self contained, with significant undeveloped areas around them.
The 2050 plan gave landowners an alternative to their agricultural zoning, which requires home sites of five acres or larger. Lakewood Ranch received permission to build a more densely clustered community of 5,144 homes on the company's Sarasota County land between Fruitville and University Parkway near Wilbanks' property.
Yet the Lakewood Ranch landowners, like others, say the plan is too restrictive. They say it requires too many housing types and too much open space. They want to roll back rules that require homes to be clustered around neighborhood shopping centers, and want to end a monitoring program designed to collect money for roads and other improvements if development impacts are greater than expected.
But skeptics worry about "cookie-cutter" subdivisions, paving over too much land and leaving taxpayers on the hook for roads, utilities and other infrastructure.
The local debate is part of a nationwide backlash against development restrictions, many enacted during the real estate boom when demand was strong and home prices high. Landowners were eager to move ahead with new projects and more willing to accept higher standards.
Developers are more wary today. Many are falling back on familiar models, experts say.
"This argument is being made in a lot of different places around the country," said Ed McMahon, a community planning expert with the Urban Land Institute. "Some places are saying let's get rid of some of these rules and others are saying let's stick to our guns."
Former Sarasota County commissioner Shannon Staub hopes current elected officials stick to the plan on "the big things." Staub helped craft the 2050 plan. She said additional flexibility may be warranted, but questioned whether a major overhaul is necessary.
"I think the basic premise of the 2050 plan is still solid," she said. "Meaning walkability, more compact development, not having subdivision after subdivision and not having to drive 20 miles to get milk."
New commissioners
A reshuffled — and more development-friendly — County Commission directed its urban planning staff to meet with developers last year to hear their complaints about 2050.
County leaders are looking for ways to spark an economy still struggling from the lagging performance of a main engine, home building. Some believe 2050 is limiting new development.
"Instead of a guiding principle document it looks like it's more preventing development, at least some aspects of it," said Commissioner Christine Robinson.
Planners held 10 meetings with various landowners, including Lakewood Ranch, Palmer Ranch, Neal Communities and Hi Hat Ranch.
The general public has a chance to weigh in during the two open house meetings scheduled for today and next Wednesday.
County commissioners will weigh the public comments against developers' concerns at a May 8 meeting and decide whether to proceed with changes.
While the outcome has ramifications for the entire county, Wilbanks and her neighbors may have the most at stake.
Fruitville emblematic
The 2050 plan governs roughly 60,000 acres from Englewood north. But some of the greatest impacts will be along the Fruitville Road corridor.
Two of the largest plots of undeveloped land in the county sit on either side of Fruitville, a 5,500-acre section of Lakewood Ranch and the roughly 10,000-acre Hi Hat Ranch.
Sandwiched between Fruitville and University Parkway, the Villages of Lakewood Ranch South one day could have a population of roughly 11,000.
Wilbanks, the llama owner, worries about noise from roads that will connect University and Fruitville. She also is concerned about more traffic on Fruitville. She does not want the road's eastern stretch significantly wider and more commercialized, but some of the 2050 changes being proposed by Lakewood Ranch could make that more likely.
The developer is pushing back against the concept of creating communities that mimic traditional towns and villages where homes are clustered around downtown-style commercial centers.
Instead, Lakewood Ranch wants to move a large shopping complex to the intersection of University and Lorraine Road, on the development's periphery. Another neighborhood commercial center would be reduced in size.
If Lakewood Ranch is successful, communities developed on Hi Hat's land and other rural tracts could follow the same strip-style commercial development pattern that has been common over the last half-century.
That means residents may have to drive farther for shopping, making longer trips out to Fruitville, University and other major roads.
Studies show developments that are not clustered around shopping have up to 30 percent more traffic, McMahon said.
Lakewood Ranch planning executive Todd Pokrywa wrote in an email this week that the large commercial center still will be within the "greater Lakewood Ranch community" and the reconfigured plan will still "successfully address internal capture" of traffic.
"Retail uses cannot be forced to a location that is not feasible or marketable," Pokrywa wrote.
Lakewood Ranch officials also want to loosen 2050 rules that require different housing styles and constant monitoring to ensure developers pay for infrastructure improvements.
Community concerns
Leslie Schmidt said she believes Lakewood Ranch should be forced to stick to the current plan.
Schmidt can see The Villages of Lakewood Ranch South property from her home on Racimo Lane. She wants a higher standard of development than identical houses to replace the view of pasture and pines she has had for 30 years.
Ensuring the developer pays for roads and other improvements also is important, she said.
"Lakewood Ranch is powerful. They have a lot of money, and I don't want them to just bully changes to 2050," said Schmidt, 60, who works for a Sarasota dentist.
More than anything, Schmidt and Wilbanks hope to maintain the serenity of their surroundings.
Wilbanks, 23, raised show horses on her family's Ranchero Drive property before finding her passion with llamas. She praises their intelligence and gives them names that reflect their personalities. Among the herd: Pitbull Pete, Calico Casanovo and Caffeinated Conversation.
Wilbanks' llamas compete in shows and serve as therapy animals for disabled children and nursing home residents. They roam a large fenced area with three white Silkie chickens, five rescue cats and a rambunctious Japanese Chin dog named Moo Shu.
The loudest noise on a recent afternoon came from Moo Shu yapping at the herd.
"Quiet, peace, no traffic, that's why we live here," Wilbanks said.


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This piece is custom, made-to-order and requires special attention and a little extra TLC. We ask that you review this product and its lead time, located on the product page under "Shipping & Returns", before you proceed with the purchase. Custom, made-to-order pieces are final sale and cannot be cancelled, refunded, or returned. McGee & Co. does offer a 24-hour grace period (from order receipt) to accommodate such requests. After 24 hours, we will be unable to cancel, exchange, or make any changes to your order. Please note, on occasion, items are impacted by a backorder, and these dates are subject to change based on manufacturer production. Our team will provide notifications on impacted items as soon as we receive them.
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A light, slightly cloudy sky juxtaposed against a dark toned green marsh brings just the right amount of visual contrast to your space. Textured brush strokes add dimension, while captivating your eyes with light to dark tones in the Misty Front piece.
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Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the modern world's first female...Scientist Astronaut Head of government Polar explorer
Life is a journey. Explore the world with these inspirational traveler stories and guides on how and where to travel – feel and understand various countries without leaving the comfort of your home!
Magical Massachusetts
Do you want to learn more about your country? Here's some random info about the Bay State you may not know!
7 Travel Tips You Wish You Knew
At times, packing a suitcase can turn into a competition where you can't but feel that everything is against you. We collected the most valuable travel tips suggested by skilled tourists to make your journey easier and suitcase lighter!
Feel the nomadic mood! Play with your friends, test your knowledge of various countries, plan your vacation, and explore the world. Visit Italy, France, Morocco, and many other countries without worrying about travel safety or getting travel insurance – traveling online is as safe as it can be!


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Trudy Turner is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and member of the Financial Planning Association. Serving clients at Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management in Irving, TX and the surrounding communities.
If you are a young person who has recently graduated from college and are entering the professional workforce, you have your whole life ahead...Read More >
By: FPA Member Jason K. Branning, CFP® Last Updated: April 23, 2012...Read More >
In our society of conspicuous consumption and spending-beyond-means, many parents face an uphill battle to encourage children to save for the...Read More >
The bankers are saying "We're lending!" but the small business owners are saying "No, they aren't." There clearly is a disconnection. Here are...Read More >
In a recess appointment on January 4th, President Obama appointed Richard Cordray as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection...Read More >
Recently I received an email from a client wanting clarification of his earned income. The school district that he and his wife live in had...Read More >
The training starts when we are very young. There is no class, no teacher, and no textbook. There is no exam, but we all get an "A." We...Read More >
Retirement may seem a long way off for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Why fret about something that's decades away? Ben Franklin once said...Read More >
One of the first lessons of financial planning is that you shouldn't base your retirement future on the prospects for the Social Security...Read More >
My first real job was the U.S. Navy. I was 17 years-old and was leaving home and going to be "on my own" for the first time. The Navy taught me...Read More >


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Day 1 – Friday, May 14
I went a total of 1.08 miles. I burned only about 73 calories. I took 2281 steps on the track. I didn't do so well today. But I am doing this 5K run for St. Jude's! As the song sung by Journey always says, "Don't Stop Believing". What Would You Do? TV Show came on tonight. I love the concept of that show. It makes me think about what I would do if I were in their shoes. Would I stand up for something that is wrong? Would I even notice? Would I care? Would I help? See, ask yourself those questions. It makes you want to reach out your hand and stand up for certain things. I also lifted weights today. I lifted my magic number 40.
Day 2 – Saturday, May 15
I went for a total of 1.29 miles. So I went a little bit more today. I burned about 70 calories. I took a total of 2736 steps. The humidly was very scorching today. I also lifted 40 pounds of weights today.
Day 3 – Sunday, May 16
I went a mass sum of 2.77 miles today! I am increasing for once. 174 calories left my body today by exercising. I took about 5852 steps in my journey. I took a day off on lifting weights on my machine. Each day I am getting stronger! I can do this. Please support me in my journey by donating to St. Jude's the children need your help. They are already going through a lot. Your money helps them get better. Any amount helps them. Big and small and short and tall; size doesn't matter.
I found this video about Jake Olson. He is a hero! Jake Olson is working on two books on his cancer story. They aren't released yet, but they are written. I have tried to find information about the books. But I can't seem to find them. Or I would tell you what they are called. A little background about Jake Olson, he has had cancer 8 times. He didn't give up. That is a true hero. Watch the video and you can hear his story from his own words.
Jake Olson Cancer Story:
Day 4 – Monday, May 17
I ran about three laps! I stopped in some of them. But I ran for the most part. I also lifted weights again today. Finally, I was able to go 5 laps total! Totally pumped! I am improving little by little. My mother also pointed out both of my legs is looking more muscular, which is a benefit to running laps around the track. I went for a total of 2.23 miles. I burned around 160 calories. I took 4720 steps. I pushed myself a little harder today. I heard this song come on my I-pod when I was running. The song is called, "The Power of One" by Bomshel. I hadn't heard this song before, until it came on my I-pod. It was a free song from I-Tunes a while back. You can still buy the song on I-Tunes. It is also available on the Evan Almighty soundtrack. I needed this song today in my run.
The lyrics goes something like this:
"One grain of sand can turn the tide One single spark can light the night One simple dream One gentle word One act of love from someone Can start a chain reaction It all begins in the heart In the power of one"
The verses tell us about Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, Jesus, and everyday people. It opened my eyes. You can make a different no matter, what your age is. Race doesn't matter, you can change the world. We don't ever have to feel like we can't make a different. Don't buy into the lies and the excuses on why you can't help. Trash those excuses! You may feel like all of those names included in the song are great people. Jesus is a true example of love and kindness. But Rosa Parks and Anne Frank are people just like you and me. They had a choice to choose to help inspire many people. They helped change the world in small ways. You could easily be the next person who helps someone. You don't have to famous or go down in history to do it. Just be you and help somebody.
Watch this video someone made for "The Power of One":
Another song that I want to share with you is "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman.
"I want to leave a legacy How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough To make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering A child of mercy and grace who blessed your name unapologetically And leave that kind of legacy"
Watch the video below of "Legacy":
I want to ask you something. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? Do you want to be known for not helping someone else in their time of need? I know you're thinking they don't help me. Well, help them anyways and it will come back to you.
"Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving." 2 Corinthians 9:7 (The Message)
"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.' Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because— I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.' Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?' He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.' Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward." Matthew 25:31-46 (The Message)
We need to have more joy in life! We have got to smile more. We need to the kind of people that go out of our way to help one another. Please donate below and help the children of St. Jude's. They are living with cancer every single day. Cancer doesn't care if you are young or old. It affects everyone. We all know people who have or survived cancer. You might think you can't help, but you can! We can help raise money and help support these kids. If you can't support ask your friends to help. Help promote it! They need people to believe in them.
I hope you will support me in me running a 5K. All the money goes directly to St. Jude's. I am just a writer. That's just one of the gifts, God has given me. It is only God using me. To GOD be the glory!
My Page Link is below:
My wish is that everyone will see the God in you and me today, tomorrow, and from now on. If you're alive you're blessed. God loves you so much! Spread the love!
Watch Mary Mary's "God in Me" video:
CHECK OUT: http://sites.google.com/site/theofficialandrewsmith/
Journey of My Run Week 5 : Day 1 - 4
Posted by Andrew Smith at 12:49 AM
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meet at Ocean County Y this weekend!
by, February 6th, 2013 at 05:03 PM (2607 Views)
This weekend I have a swimmeet at the Ocean County Y.
I am swimming the 50 fly, 500 free, then literally these right in a row, the 200 breast, 200 IM and 100 fly. It stinks I will have to do a 100 fly right after those two, I can imagine the piano falling hard haha. My 200 IM is what I am most looking forward to improving, in practice I have been doing a good amount of each stroke. So we will see. I guess I should not sign up for so many things if I really want to do better lol, but I am still used to signing up for a million things and doing everything from when I was young. At least the 50 fly sprint I get to do first. My goal is to just improve my times from things I swam in October.
The past few weeks I have managed to try and get into the habit of gym and pool once a day, 4x a week if possible. Running has seemed to help with controlling my breathing when in the pool (for some reason I was always feeling out of breath). Anyways, I wish everyone a good weekend of training or swim meet!


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Fighting climate change one idea at a time
Weekend Activities
Life at Northfield Mount Hermon is incredibly busy and weekends are no exception.
The Student Activities Office may be offering a movie, dance, or air hockey tournament. There may also be something bigger planned, like a hypnotist, video game night, or an after-hours bowling trip. Or you can just get together with your friends in the Blake Student Center and play ping-pong or pool while enjoying food from the snack bar.
Of course, there are big campus-wide events, too. There might be a play, dance performance, or music recital at the Rhodes Arts Center. Maybe the Hoggers are playing...basketball, soccer, or hockey? Or one of the major events at NMH is happening, like Dwight Night, a special dinner and dance, or Hogger Fair, an outdoor festival with music, food, and games.
Maybe you want to get off campus for a while? There are organized trips to the Ingleside Mall, Cinemark, and Hadley Mall, dances at other boarding schools, and more. It could be a big thing, with your entire dorm or class getting into the act, or just you and a friend hopping on the NMH activity vehicle to go into Greenfield to shop or have dinner out.
Once in a while, we have what we call closed weekends, during which you stay on campus. Maybe it's to cool things down for some quiet study (before finals!) or maybe it's for one of our big all-school celebrations like Founder's Day Weekend.
No matter what's going on over the weekend, it's bound to be fun and interesting! Check this sample schedule.


text: Sleepy LaBeef became the ultimate rockabilly survivor, his live performances retaining the same raw power as he approached his eighth decade that they had in the years when he was among the music's pioneers. He was born Thomas Paulsley LaBeff in Smackover, AR. The 6'7" singer has heavily lidded eyes which make him appear half-asleep, hence his nickname. He was raised on a melon farm and grew up hearing both country and blues music. LaBeef moved to Houston at age 18, working at several odd jobs before beginning to sing gospel music on local radio shows. Soon he was working with a band of his own at local bars, and he appeared on the Houston Jamboree and Louisiana Hayride radio programs. The new rockabilly style fit his blazing voice perfectly, and in the late '50s he recorded about a dozen sides in that style for various labels. His first single, "I'm Through," was released in 1957 on Starday. Sometimes he was billed as Tommy LaBeff or Sleepy LaBeff. LaBeef moved to Nashville in 1964 and soon was signed to Columbia. In the 1960s he recorded mostly straight country music. His sixth single for the label, "Every Day," provided LaBeef with his chart debut in 1968, and after moving to Shelby Singleton's Plantation label in 1969, he hit the Top 20 with his version of "Blackland Farmer," Frankie Miller's heartfelt ode to the soil. The late '60s also saw the towering baritone's film debut in the bizarre Southern drive-in horror musical The Exotic Ones; LaBeef played a swamp monster. LaBeef moved to Sun Records in the mid-'70s after Singleton acquired that original institution of rockabilly, and there he reconnected with his rockabilly roots. Singles such as "Thunder Road," "There Ain't Much After Taxes," and "Boogie Woogie Country Girl" saw little chart action but helped form the beginnings of the LaBeef legend as his indefatigable touring exposed audiences to his wildman energy. LaBeef remains more popular in Europe than in the U.S. and appeared at England's Wembley Festival twice. Among his U.S. fans was soul-music historian Peter Guralnick, who saw LaBeef perform in Massachusetts in 1977 and praised his performances in a widely read article. That plus the general revival of rockabilly around 1980 at the hands of such groups as the Stray Cats paved the way for the emergence of Sleepy LaBeef, rockabilly revivalist. He signed to Rounder in 1981 and released It Ain't What You Eat (It's the Way How You Chew It) in the U.S. and in Europe. The live album Nothin' but the Truth gave CD buyers a taste of the booming vocals and slashing guitar that had made LaBeef a prime club attraction. LaBeef returned to regular recording in the mid-'90s, releasing several more albums on Rounder: Strange Things Happening (1994) and I'll Never Lay My Guitar Down (1996) contained a variety of country and blues tunes and revealed the depth of LaBeef's musical experiences. Four years later, he issued Tomorrow Never Comes, which featured guest vocals from Maria Muldaur. Compilations of the numerous unissued tracks from earlier in LaBeef's career began to surface in the early 2000s, and by that time Sleepy was nothing less than a rockabilly legend. ~ James Manheim


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It all started at an informal meeting six years ago when the head of the Regional planning department, a senior staffer from the University at Buffalo and David Siegel discussed the idea of a Niagara "think tank," to be housed at Brock.
Siegel, then Brock's Dean of Social Sciences, was intrigued.
Having an academic institute that would provide balanced, non-partisan research driven by – and provided to – the community was something that excited Siegel.
The idea grew.
In 2008, a half-day session attended by dozens of Niagara politicians, civil servants, local organizations, businesspeople and other community members laid the groundwork for what was to become a regional landmark: the Niagara Community Observatory (NCO).
Fast forward five years. As he prepares to vacate his position as the NCO's founding director, David Siegel looks back to the beginning and how far the observatory has come as his term at its helm comes to a close June 30.
"I think it was very important to show Brock's commitment to the local community," recalls Siegel. "I knew from talking to people in the community that there was a strong need for additional research to be done about the Niagara area in order to support the activities of many of the not-for-profit agencies that were working in the area."
In the lead-up to the NCO's official launch in mid-2009, Siegel organized a community advisory committee and a University advisory committee, which represent different constituencies, but work together easily.
Based on the public feedback from the earlier half-day session, the committees formed the mission and goals of the NCO, which are to work in partnership with the Niagara community to foster, produce, and disseminate evidence-based research on current and emerging issues.
The group was keen to get moving. Its first research brief – The Young Are the Restless: Attracting and Retaining Young People in the Niagara Area – was released in March 2009, the same month that the Niagara Community Observatory became official.
Since then, the NCO has produced 15 research briefs on everything from farmers' markets to social media to the state of Niagara's lakes and rivers.
"Prof. David Siegel has done an extraordinary job in bringing this initiative into existence and in creating the partnerships and track record of excellence that have had impact across our communities," says Gary Libben, Vice-President Research.
"I know that I speak for all our colleagues and community partners in expressing gratitude for his extremely valuable contribution to Brock and to Niagara."
Siegel recalls the impact of one brief in particular, released in November 2010, called "More than Fun and Games: Sport's Contribution to Niagara's Economy and Wellbeing."
"I was talking to someone the other day who was saying that the methodology that was described in that report is now being widely used among a number of local groups to identify the economic impact of particular local events in the sports area," he says.
The September 2012 launch of the NCO brief, "Poverty and Education: A Niagara Perspective," involved a panel of representatives from community organizations speaking to the various themes of poverty and education.
Mike Lethby, executive director of the youth drop-in centre The RAFT was one of those speakers, sharing the impact of poverty on Niagara's at-risk youth.
Lethby says the poverty brief and other NCO research supports community groups as they seek funding.
"The NCO has a credibility factor to it that can actually verify some of the things we are saying," he adds. "NCO takes an issue from the anecdotal and applies a bit more of a research rigour, which then makes for a more credible presentation to the community and government."
Lethby says dealing with Siegel has challenged the stereotype of the "apart and isolated" professor who is focused primarily on numbers and research.
"Dave has a real social personality that allowed him to connect with the issues and the people involved," he says. "To have someone like Dave make the connection across the personal level, that was invaluable."
Darlene Ciuffetelli Parker agrees. The associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education says the support from the NCO – and Siegel in particular – were invaluable as she wrote and presented the September 2012 poverty and education brief.
"Dr. Siegel organized the process at every stage, from the manuscript review to the invitation of important persons across Niagara for a well-organized and equally well-attended panel symposium," says Ciuffetelli Parker. "The result was a rich discussion across disciplines, organizations and people hoping to make sense of poverty in Niagara."
"His ability to bring critical issues to the forefront in Niagara indisputably is a gift to our community," she adds. "His passion for humanity and the well-being of citizens in Niagara is evident in all he does."


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Random Excellence
Jan von Holleben's Dreams of Flying.
Posted by: MIKE JOHNSTON, with thanks to David A. Johnson
Check out our new site at www.theonlinephotographer.com!
These are whimsical and imaginative without being cute. Hard to do when kids are involved. Thanks for the link. I always look forward to your "random excellence" posts.
The master of this form of staged photography is the Czech photographer Miro Svolik. http://www.czechslovakphotos.com/html/svolik.html
This is some wonderful, imaginative work.
It's remarkable that the photographer remarks that he hardly every "photoshops" his work. In a June, 2006 interview he says that the high contrast and drippy saturations come exclusively from using "cheap" consumer color film..
Splendid work. I hope I am half that creative some day.
Inspired stuff.
good stuff
Very clever!
That is delightful and moving, thanks!
I love it, I love it.
thats so cute ..ur so talented i must say :)
This is genius! Well done!
Really good photo


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Weekend Confirmed Episode 4
Weekend Confirmed Ep. 04 - 04/16/2010
Subscription Links:
- Subscribe to Weekend Confirmed in iTunes
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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 4 (player window will pop-up)
And if you're on GameCenter, you can play the show here:
Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 4
Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:
Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:23:33
Music Sample: "Waste my Time": Start: 00:23:33 End: 00:24:31
Whatcha' Been Playin Part 2: Start: 00:24:31 End: 00:48:58
The Front Page: Start: 00:49:23 End: 01:15:20
Music Sample: "Small Town Hero": Start: 01:15:20 End: 01:15:51
All music in this show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes and check out more at his Facebook page.


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She's Disney's youngest princess and, when she's in a jam, she calls in the big guns! This November, Disney Channel will air the primetime animated special Sofia the First: The Floating Palace which finds Princess Sofia (voiced by Modern Family's Ariel Winter) on a high-seas vacation where she befriends a young mermaid named Oona (Mad Men's Kiernan Shipka). When Oona gets captured by a sea monster, Sofia seeks out Princess Ariel, of The Little Mermaid fame, and together they work to save the day, as seen here in this exclusive first look.
Ariel will once again be voiced by Jodi Benson, star of the smash 1989 feature film The Little Mermaid, which hits DVD, Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray Oct. 1 in a special Diamond edition.
The Sofia series, a huge ratings draw for Disney Junior, has already featured guest appearances by beloved Disney princesses Cinderella, Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Jasmine from Aladdin. Coming soon: Aurora from Sleeping Beauty and the fairest of them all, Snow White!


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Goldmark: We'll miss Mayor Koch's integrity and wit
He was irascible. He was impetuous but shrewd. He was colorful, outrageous, sometimes vindictive, and larger than life in his playfulness, his enthusiasm, his boundless energy. In a city whose previous mayors had left office exhausted and spent, he commanded public attention and wielded political power for nearly half a century.
I worked with Ed Koch when I was state budget director and then head of the Port Authority. He was not an easy character to deal with. But he was always fair, always listened, and always took my ideas seriously -- probably in part because I didn't report to him, so he couldn't tell me what to do.
Koch is widely credited with returning New York City to fiscal health after its disastrous near-bankruptcy of 1975. He deserves a lot of credit in the fiscal area -- but not for what he is normally praised for. The city was already solidly back on a responsible financial course when Koch took office in 1978. His enormous achievement was to keep it on track for 12 years, all three of his terms. More important, he built and maintained public support for that course, which has served the city well to the present day.
Did he have weaknesses? You bet. He neglected the long-term economic-development challenges that faced the city, which might have included opening up the waterfront, shoring up the dwindling manufacturing sector, or investing in a large, multiyear capital infrastructure program to generate jobs and make the city's economy more competitive.
On the plus side, he appointed good people and let them do their jobs. People like Nat Leventhal, Stan Brezenoff, Gordon Davis, Bob Wagner Jr., Herb Sturz, Norman Steisel and scores of others were among the best professionals New York public service, local or state, has ever known. A mayor doesn't get many headlines or much love for appointing first-rate people, but it has an awful lot to do with how effective and how honest his administration is.
Koch's performance in the arena of race relations was more pivotal than is recognized. As with the fiscal area, the real story is not quite the way it has been popularized.
In the third quarter of the 20th century there were two giants in New York City public life -- John Lindsay, for whom I worked, and Koch, with whom I worked. They detested each other. But sandwiched around the pale and disastrous one-termer Abe Beame, they together made the city a fair and progressive place that afforded room and opportunity to anyone who wanted to "make it there," as Frank Sinatra used to sing. Lindsay opened up a city whose unions, housing, school enrollment and employment patterns were still highly segregated, and he championed powerfully and sometimes shrilly the rights of minorities to participate in governing the city and enjoy the fruits of its economic enterprise.
Koch emphasized the rights of everyone, powerfully and sometimes shrilly, but especially the white middle class, which he didn't want to be marginalized or hurt economically as the city adjusted to a much broader and fairer acceptance of all the groups who lived here. Yet Koch did not retreat one inch from the gains minorities had made during the civil rights movement and the Lindsay years; on the contrary, he quietly and staunchly defended them. Koch locked in both the sound financial practices necessary for the city to succeed and the modern, open attitudes on race and differences that have made New York City a beacon for the nation and the world.
We will miss you, Edward Irving Koch -- for all that you accomplished and all that you stood for. But above all for your wit, your irreverence, your nerve and tenacity on the big issues, and your willingness to take on any myth, any shibboleth, any stuffed shirt. Any time, anywhere.
Peter Goldmark, a former budget director of New York State and former publisher of the International Herald Tribune, headed the climate program at the Environmental Defense Fund.